Pune: Thanks to the steps initiated by the civic administration, hundreds of construction workers in the city will be able to register with the labour welfare board and get authorized certificates. This, in turn, will help these workers, employed at various building construction sites and ongoing infrastructural projects, access welfare schemes announced by the board.
An official of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said, "Building permission, water supply, road, drainage and solid waste management departments are involved in the registration drive. The officers from these departments are expected to visit project sites in their jurisdictions. They will instruct the contractors to ensure that all workers, who are employed at the sites for more than 90 days, are registered with the labour board."
As per the municipal commissioner's instructions, the building permission department should ensure that every eligible worker is registered with the Maharashtra building and workers' welfare board. The department has been told not to issue new permissions and completion certificates to builders if the registration of eligible workers is pending. Even the contractors working on projects like road construction, water supply, drainage pipelines etc. have been told to ensure worker enrolment.
However, the workers' union wants more. Nitin Pawar, a workers' union leader, said, "More thrust needs to be on the yearly registration renewals. Also, the contractors should take care of the workers' safety."
